The American Civil War
by LeaderofBrooklyn
Summary: He's a Union soldier. She's a Southern belle. He's from New York. She's from Virginia. This is a story about two star-crossed lovers and of how they met and loved.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

It was July 20, 1861. I was preparing for battle against the Confederates, near Manassas. I loaded up my rifle with bullets.

I sighed. Hopefully this war will end soon so that I can go home back up in New York. But a part of me wanted to stay and fight, for the good of the Union- and my family. Unfortunately, that part of me was right. I needed to support my family _somehow. _Well, at least the pay was good -thirteen dollars a month.

I tore a paper satchel with my front teeth and spat it out. I accidently swallowed some of the gunpowder. _Damn it. _

I ended up lying on the ground trying to get it out by coughing, after all me dying from sulfur poisoning wasn't the way I wanted to leave the world. After a few minutes of constant coughing and throwing up once, I finally got the damn gunpowder out.

"Wow, you are really bad at loading up a rifle are you?" an arrogant voice said.

I got up and tried to look as dignified as I can. "Oh shut up Will, at least I'm not an aristocratic brat who _bought _his way into the army."

The smirk on his face fell, which was then replaced by an angry scowl. "Well at least my family has money, your family has _nothing._" He made sure to emphasize the last word.

I balled up my fists. "Why you little-"

"Throwing insults at each other are we now?" a new voice said.

We both turned our heads. It was Brigadier General Irvin McDowell. Just. My. Luck.

Will and I both straightened.

"Of course not sir," Will lied. "We were just making small talk with each other sir. Right Percy?" He kicked at the back of my legs.

Damn that hurt. I'm planning to get him back for that. But he had a point. If we were found arguing, then _both _of us were in trouble. "Yes sir," I answered. "We were just talking sir, just like Mr. Solace said sir."

McDowell's eyes narrowed. "Alright, but if you two make a mess like _last _ time-" I felt my face reddening. "-both of you will get kicked out of the army. We are all fighting for the same cause here and we need all the people we can get. Do you understand?"

We both nodded. "Yes sir." With that the brigadier general left and (thankfully) Will left with him.

I flopped on my bed. Already a month in and I'm already tired of all this. How pathetic. I looked at the few things that I brought from home.

There was a picture of my mom and I when times were peaceful, a journal so that I can write my thoughts in along with a pen and ink, and some paper. There were also some stamps in case I wanted to send a letter to my mom and an old pocket watch back when my dad was around.

I picked up the paper and pen. My mom was probably worried sick about me anyway.

_Dear Mom, _

_How are you doing up in New York? If you're wondering, I'm doing fine. The food is decent and my comrades are too. I didn't get into any major troubles yet. If you count that one time during break then I guess I've gotten in trouble. It wasn't my fault though, the other guy started it. _

_Don't worry; I haven't participated in any battles yet. So far it's been a lot of training and such. But tomorrow, I am. It's near Virginia, near Manassas. Do you know where it is? I know by now you're probably freaking out by now, like I said don't worry. I'm going to be okay. I paid attention during the drills. Well sort of. You know how I am, I can't sit still. _

_Since the only reason I joined the army was to help you, I have seven dollars in this. I got paid at the end of each month and its thirteen dollars. I'll try to make enough money for the both of us. _

I looked outside; it was starting to get dark. Better wrap this up soon.

_Perhaps I'll get to see you soon Mom. I miss you terribly. _

_With love,_

_Percy. _

I got the seven dollars and the letter and put it in the envelope. I put one of the stamps on it and delivered it to the postman. Hopefully it will get to her.

I sighed for what seemed the millionth time today. I decided to get out of my ten and socialize.

I looked around. Many of the people were talking about tomorrow. Compared to my fellow soldiers, I wasn't very enthusiastic for the upcoming battle. Many were bragging about how many soldiers they were going to kill or how they were going to save the day when all seems hopeless. I rolled my eyes. The battle hasn't even _started _yet.

One of my friends waved me over to their spot. It was Charles Beckendorf.

"Hey Percy." Beckendorf said. Nobody ever called him by his first name, except for his girlfriend.

I smiled. "Hey Beckendorf." I jogged over to where he was sitting.

Beckendorf wasn't very err, how should I put it? Well liked. It wasn't because of his personality or anything. He was a nice guy and very handy when it came to machines. It was just that he was _black. _Even though the Union was supposed to be "anti-slavery" and stuff, there were still some racist/prejudiced people- idiots the lot of them. You can't judge a person by how they look. It's just plain _wrong. _

"So," Beckendorf started. "How have you been doing?" He passed me a cup of coffee.

"I've been through the mill*," I answered. "I've had worse though. You?"

"Same old, same old. You know that guy Will?"

I nodded. "Yeah, what about him?"

"He's been spreading rumors about me fiddling around with fancy girls** and me being a copperhead***."

"What?" I spat out my coffee. "That no good son of a bitch. He has no right t talk about you about you like that."

Beckendorf just shrugged. "It doesn't bother me anyway. I've gotten used to all the comments by now."

I sat back down feeling defeated. "But…still…"

"It's alright. He's going to get what he deserves sooner or later."

"You're right about that."

There was a few moments of awkward silence.

"I bet you three dollars that his 'perfect' hair is going to get ruined tomorrow," I said to break the silence.

Beckendorf raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's the best that you can come up with? I bet five dollars that he breaks at least one bone while running for his life."

I grinned. "Oh it is _on._"

For the rest of the night, Beckendorf and I talked about the various ways of how Karma is going to get back on Will, all the while we were betting the money that we had and just having a good time.

* * *

**Hopefully I got everything historically accurate. **

**Explanation of some terms:**

***Bad day**

****Prostitute**

*****Northerner who sympathizes with Southerners. **

**Yes, I made Will Solace a jerk. You guys don't mind right? His personality will get better, I promise. Annabeth should be coming into the story a bit later. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews last chapter guys. I can believe that I didn't catch that mistake in the last chapter, thank you Rosario Central. My brain tends to autocorrect things like this. I'll go back later and fix.**

**Just to let you guys know, this chapter is one of two (maybe three) updates for this week. A filler and a bit shorter, but it sets up things. Next chapter will be longer. **

**After this week, I go back to school and have to start studying for midterms. **

**Disclaimer: I'm a girl. Rick Riordan's a guy. That's a BIG difference there.**

* * *

I woke up to the sound of my head throbbing. _Great just great._ This day has been one shittiest days of my life. First off, the battle at Bull Run was a total _disaster. _Actually, no, disaster doesn't even begin to describe what happened. More like a catastrophe.

I can't remember exactly what happened. But I remember some parts of it.

The Union was winning the battle at first. The Confederate lines were beginning to crumble under the heavy fire. It looked like we were about to win. But as fate would have it, a Confederate brigade inspired the other soldiers to rally behind him. A Brigadier General shouted something. Something about a guy named Jackson (as far as I can tell, we're not related in anyway) and Virginians. But it sparked fear inside my comrades.

First one soldier ran. Then two. Then three. Pretty soon, _all _of the Union soldiers were running for their lives, including me. I remember dropping my stuff and shooting a few rounds at the enemy. Pretty soon I ran out of bullets and ended up dropping my rifle off too. The only thing I had were the clothes on my back.

I don't know how far I've ran by now. I saw Will Solace a couple meters back nursing a broken leg. Looks like I owe Beckendorf his five greenbacks* now.

I made it to the creek, which was as far as I gotten before getting shot in the leg. Let me tell you right now, getting shot hurts like hell. The people I've talk to said that getting shot is like getting pinched. It's short and the pain only lasts for a few seconds before going away. I don't know where they got that information from but it didn't apply for me.

The rest was a blur after that. I vaguely remember getting dragged by the arms by a grey clad soldier though. I felt some rocks and twigs against my skin so I assumed I was in the woods. That was the last thing I remembered before fainting; most likely from blood loss.

Speaking of which, where was I?

I tried to sit up. But then I realized I was bound by my legs. I wiggled my hands and fond that they were bound too. I really should've seen this coming. I also noticed that my wounds were treated. Oh well, at least I wasn't blindfolded. I surveyed my surroundings. I was right, I was in the woods. Now how to get out I wonder…

"You drool when you sleep." A voice said.

I focused on the figure in front of me. The person was wearing a tattered soldier's uniform. He wore no shoes and had a hat covering his face so I couldn't get a good look at his face. There were a few scratches and cuts on the clothing too.

I being the intelligent person I am answered in the smartest way that I can.

"What?"

I could feel him roll his eyes. "Who are you and give me a good reason not to turn you in to the Confederates?" He took out a knife and pointed at my throat.

I noticed his voice had a Southern drawl, more specifically Virginian. And is it me or did his voice sound feminine?

"My name is Percy Jackson from New York. I just came from a battle at Bull Run," I said carefully. Who knows what this guy might be capable of? "And one good reason that you should _not _kill me is that I'll do whatever you want whenever you want."

"Good." The man took off his hat and turns out the man wasn't really a man at all.

The person (or should I say woman?) had messy blonde hair and slight smirk on her face. She wasn't that much older than me too. Despite this, something tells me that she has been bought up well. But the most starting about her were her eyes; they were grey and full of wisdom. Not grey as in those uniforms that the Confederates wore but grey as in the feathers of an owl or the clouds of a storm.

"So…you're a girl?" I said.

The smirk fell off and was replaced by a disappointed frown. "You're not all that bright are you?"

"Balderdash**! I have a perfectly fine intelligence level thank you very much!" I argued.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever helps you go to sleep at night." She pointed her knife at my chest. "Please try not to move."

She brought the knife down. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact. I never felt any pain.

Huh?

I slowly opened my eyes. The ropes that bound me were cut and hung limply at my limbs. The girl stood there looking a bit bored. She spun her knife around with her fingers. "By the way, my name's Annabeth Chase from Virginia."

"So, what do you want from me Annabeth Chase from Virginia?" I asked.

Annabeth grinned. "To help me run away of course."

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**Explanation of terms:**

***another term for money**

****nonsense**


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy New Year everybody! This chapter starts off with Annabeth. **

**Disclaimer: The likely hood of me owning PJO is the same as Dionysus giving up wine.**

* * *

I took a sip of my tea and looked around the room.

Men and women were dancing around in their best clothes and all of them looked like they were enjoying themselves- except for me.

Servants were milling around serving refreshments in case anyone wanted them. Since this was the South they were all black.

I looked down at myself in disgust. I was wearing a light pink (of all the colors, why _pink_?) that was suffocating because my corset was tightly laced. The hoop skirt made it impossible to move and sit. Not only that, it sometimes tipped to one side; granting the young men a very nice view of my legs and god knows what else. I don't understand how girls can walk around like this.

Despite these complaints, my father assured me that I looked like a princess. I thought I looked like a doll. Speaking of which, where was he? Honestly, the least he could've done was to show up on his own daughter's birthday.

I was about to go find him when I was stopped by a man; a man who I had always liked but liked as a brother. If only he understood that.

"Would you like to dance Miss Chase?" he said. His hand was outstretched and a smile was on his face.

"Now's not the right time Mr. Castellan," I answered as politely as I could. "Have you seen my father? I'm looking for him."

His blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "I've just seen him go into his study." He took a step toward me. "Now that your question is answered, would you like to dance?"

He just won't take no for an answer would he? Well, if it would get him to stop bothering me…

"Fine." I answered. I took his hand and he swept me on to the dance floor.

"You are a very beautiful dancer," Luke said.

* * *

I tried not to blush. I've never wanted to learn how to dance, but my dad _insisted _on enrolling me in dance classes hoping that it would turn me into a "proper lady."

"As are you," I replied. We kept on dancing awkwardly for a few more minutes, not saying a word to each other. Soon, I got tired of dancing and went off to find some water. Luke followed me.

"So," Luke started. "How are you doing on this fine day?"

I poured some water into my glass. "I'm fit as a fiddle*. You?"

"I'm fine. Say, isn't that your dad over there?" He pointed to the right.

I looked over to where he was pointing. Sure enough, there was my dad talking with another man. I recognized him as Luke's stepfather.

I observed their conversation. My dad made a lot of movements with his hand while Luke's father seemed to be laughing about something my dad said.

I wonder what they are talking about. I didn't want to intrude but curiosity got the best of me. I walked over where the two men were standing.

"…I'm absolutely excited for this. We'll both profit from this." Mr. Castellan finished.

"Dad, what are you and Mr. Castellan talking about?" I asked.

"Oh! Annabeth I didn't see you there." My dad jumped a bit from my sudden appearance. He cleared his throat. "Have you met Mr. Castellan?"

"We've met a few times," I answered.

Mr. Castellan's full name was John Castellan. He had blonde hair just like Luke's, but that's the only thing that those two had in common. He always had a scowl on his face and he was ambitious. He is also the head of Castellan Industries, an agricultural company distributing cotton to all parts of the South. When Luke's biological dad died from the shakes**, his mom remarried to him. But then his mom went crazy from his death. Quite a sad story if you ask me.

"Is this the birthday girl?" Mr. Castellan inquired. "She's very pretty."

"Indeed she is," my dad answered. "Annabeth here is my pride and joy. She's going to bring prosperity for both of our families."

What did he mean? No, surely he isn't talking about _that. _

Mr. Castellan seeing my expression had an amused smile on his face. "Well, Mr. Chase you didn't tell her yet?"

"Tell me what?" my voice rising. "Dad, what is he talking about?" But I already knew.

My dad took in a deep breath. "Annabeth, honey, you and Luke Castellan are going to get married."

* * *

You can basically _feel _the tension in the air. It was so thick, that it was suffocating.

"Now it might seem a shock for you," my dad said slowly. "But I assure you it's better…" He never got to finish the sentence.

"Better?" I shrieked. "Everything you do you think it's 'better' for me! Do you consider my feelings at all when you do this kind of stuff? Do you? You didn't think of telling me first before you and Mr. Castellan made this engagement? How could you dad? How could you? Do you know what I feel about feel about this?" I picked up a slice of cake from a nearby table. "Well this is what I feel about this!"

I threw the cake at my dad. The white frosting stained his frockcoat and the strawberries slid down to his trousers, taking some of the frosting with them.

I got to admit, I felt better after that-if not a bit guilty. I was tired of being told what to do. I was sixteen years old damn it! I don't need someone to tell me what's best for me. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions, thank you very much.

Sadly, my dad was not amused about my sudden outburst.

"Annabeth go to your room now," my dad said. His tone was dangerously calm.

"But," I started.

"Now," his voice rising.

"Yes, father." I mumbled.

I walked back to my room, which took a rather long time since it was upstairs and on the other side of the house. I could feel the eyes of every guest as I walked.

"How improper," one whispered.

"Highly inappropriate for someone of _her _class," another said.

I closed the door and undressed until I was left with my bloomers**. _Finally. _

I laid down in my bed think about what exactly happened just now. I love my dad, I really do. He tries to be a better dad for me but his work prevents him from doing so (he designs weapons and occasionally tests them). Honestly, sometimes I think he cares more about his work than me. I wish I can escape from this life and start anew. Somewhere where there are no parties, no more dresses, no more acting like a lady; somewhere where I can be _free. _

Wait… that's it! I'll run away! I am more than capable of defending myself. When my dad wasn't home or he simply was busy (which was the case most of the time), I would sneak away from house and practice handling a knife or shooting a gun. I often went into the woods that were to the left of the house. I knew it like the back of my hand and I read a book once about the things you can eat in there so that was a plus.

I went into my wardrobe and dug into it. I hid these items in case I _did_ want to run away. Now's the perfect time to do it.

After a few minutes of rummaging through (where did I put them?) I finally found them. I hid a soldier's uniform, some men's clothes, a knife, and a cartridge box in here. I put my hair up and changed into the uniform. I tucked my hair into the hat and voila! I looked like a boy. Well sort of…

I tucked the knife it my boots. I put the remaining items into a brown bag. I wouldn't need any food since I can always find them in the woods.

There was one problem though.

My bedroom was on the second floor-which means if I'm going to escape, I have to jump off the roof and possibly break my limbs. But if I go downstairs, then someone would surely recognize me. What to do, what to do…

I looked outside of my window to check if anyone was outside. There was no one. So I was like, what the hell? I climbed out the window and prayed to God that I would and safely. I jumped and braced for impact. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much I thought it would.

I looked back at the house, still sore from the jump. "Goodbye dad," I whispered. Then I ran into the woods.

* * *

It's been eight days since I left home. So far it's been good, if you don't count the times I nearly died.

My body was covered in scratches and wounds. They weren't fatal; I managed to treat them before they got infected. But I was incredibly tired, and from what I know I'm still in Virginia.

I sighed. My dad probably is worried sick about me. For all I know, he's currently in the woods looking everywhere. An image of my dad with leaves in his hair and binoculars popped in my head. I smiled, that amused me.

I've been heading up north for the past few days and the sign that I saw earlier said that I was heading towards Manassas. I'm almost there.

I was about to sit down and rest when I heard gunshots and the sound of footsteps running. I whipped out my knife and looked around me. The noise came from behind me. I turned around and cautiously walked. Eventually I came by a creek where I found what looked like Union soldiers run for their lives.

Wow, I did not see this coming.

One of the soldiers, got shot in the leg and fell down. I grimaced. That has got to hurt. But I felt guilty just seeing him lay there, dying. So I did the logical thing, I (gently) dragged him toward the woods. God he was heavy!

Eventually, I made it and propped him against the tree. I got some rope that I found a few days ago and bound his hands and feet. You can never be safe but sorry.

Making sure that the ropes were secured, I examined his face. He couldn't be that much older than me. He had slightly long black hair that was messy. He had dark circles around his eyes and his face was covered with dirt. His leg was bloody because of the gunshot. I sighed. I didn't know how exactly to treat a gunshot wound but hopefully this was enough.

As he was unconscious, I noticed that he drooled. Ew.

Since it was going to be a long time until he woke up, I decided to set up camp. I went to gather some food and firewood. The traps that I set up must've caught something by now to feed both of our bread baskets***.

After about an hour and a half the man slowly opened his eyes. They were green. As soon as he woke up, I interrogated him with a knife pointed at his throat.

Okay, so his name was Percy Jackson and he was from New York. A soldier too, hmm this guy might be useful. And based on his reaction when I took off my hat, he wasn't all that bright. Even better.

I told him my name and what I wanted from him.

I grinned. "To help me run away of course."

* * *

**I hope you're happy because I busted my ass writing this chapter. It took 6 pages on words and its almost 2,000 words and 2 hours to write. **

**Happy New Years! **

**Explanation of terms:**

***happy/healthy**

****Undergarments. **

*****stomach**


	4. Chapter 4

**The amount of school work I have to do is ridiculous this week. So many tests I have to study for and so many projects I have to finish. The sad thing is that it continues right up to the end of January. Add to the fact that I broke my leg slipping on ice and you got yourself a mess. **

**Sean Son of Athena: I remember reading something about Annabeth being born in Richmond, Virginia. I could be wrong though. **

**Disclaimer: I don't not own PJO.**

* * *

…What the hell did I get myself into? I repeated this line like a mantra for about 2 days now and I still haven't gotten my answer. All I know that I'm being dragged from Virginia to God knows where. The only thing that I _do _know about is that I'm helping this lady "run away," whatever that meant.

Right now, we were crossing the border to Delaware; at least that's what Annabeth told me. If that is her real name.

"So…" I said.

Annabeth turned around and raised her eyebrow. "What?"

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Somewhere that's not Virginia", she simply answered.

"And that is...?"

"Up north."

Wow, that's real specific, I thought. At least we're going North, maybe I'll get to see my mom again. Speaking of my mom, she's probably panicking right now. It's been a couple of days since I last sent that letter. Surely, she must've written back by now. And when I _do _write back, what am I going to tell her?

Hey mom, I'm doing great right now. I'm traveling with a total stranger that I just met a few days ago! She said that if I don't help her, she's going to kill me? Isn't that great?

It sounded ridiculous.

"Shush," Annabeth said. Her voice suddenly got quieter. "Did you hear that?"

I looked at her with a confused look. "Hear what?"

There was a rustling sound in front of us.

Oh, that noise.

"On the count of three, me and you will go towards the sound and capture whoever is it. You try to restrain him while I hold a knife up to his throat. Got it?"

"Yes."

"One, two, and three!"

We both lunged at the noise. I managed to pin down his arms first and I put my knee on his chest, preventing him from moving. Annabeth stood above me with her knife pointed at his throat.

Wait…that guy looked familiar. It couldn't be, could it?

"Who are you and why are you here?" she asked, pressing the knife closer to his neck. Is it me or am I getting a curious sense of déjà vu here?

The guy gulped. "My name is Will Solace and I just happened to be in the area. He then locked eyes with me. "And this fellow here is Percy Jackson, that ass who left me out to die."

Annabeth lowered her knife. "You guys know each other?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah… we were sort of in the same regiment at the Battle of Bull Run."

Annabeth made me got off of Will so she can get a better look at him. "Looks like you broke your leg there Mr. Solace."

Will grimaced. "Yeah I sort of got it while I was _running for my life." _He glared at me. What? It's not my fault the guy wasn't looking ahead of himself.

"You seem to have taken care of it very well," she commented.

"My dad's a doctor in Pennsylvania. He taught me a few tricks so I can take over the family business when I get older."

Annabeth had an impressed look on her face. "Really? You know we could use a guy like you in our group. Would you care to join?"

I took all my willpower not to let my jaw drop. "Annabeth, are you seriously going to let this guy join? I mean, we're not even sure that that if he's going to betray us or anything."

Will had an arrogant smirk on his face. "What? Are you jealous that you're not the only guy I the group anymore? So that you can have this pretty little lady all to yourself?"

I felt my face go red. "N-no, it's not like that!" I stuttered. "I mean, he could be dangerous!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, calm down Mr. Jackson," Annabeth assured me. "I'll make sure that he won't do anything of that sort. I could tell if anybody's lying from a mile away."

I sighed. No point in trying to change her mind now. If I learned anything while traveling with her, is that usually her choices end up right in the end. "Alright then," I admitted. "He can stay if he wants too.

"Great, glad to see that you've finally seen my way of things," Annabeth said with genuine sincerity. She turned her attention to Will. "Now Mr. Solace, let me brief on what's happening right now."

I laid my back against a tree, exhausted from all that drama. I wondered how Beckendorf was doing. Wondering, if he's still alive from that battle…

Dang it, Jackson! If you keep thinking about this kind of stuff you're going to be dead soon. I looked over to where Annabeth and Will were standing. They moved on from briefing to idle talk. Figures . They looked like they were both from the upper class and the like.

My heart quickened its pace. I wasn't jealous about them, am I? We're probably going to stay together like this for another week or two before separating.

I looked at the sky. The sun is beginning to go down and the stars are coming back up to replace it. I had a small smile in my face. I remember when I was little my mom used to tell me about the constellations.

_This is Pegasus. She pointed at a cluster of stars right above where we were laying. It was a beautiful summer night and fireflies were flying around us. Very rarely we have nights liked these. Buildings blocked out the sky and the air been foggy up to the point where we can't see it. _

"_What is that?" I asked. _

"_Well," my mom said. "Pegasus was a majestic winged horse that could fly."_

_My eyes widened. "Really?"_

_My mom nodded. "Yes he was. He assisted the hero Bellerophon in defeating the evil Chimera." _

"_And did he?" _

"_Of course. He did. Heroes always win in the end. They might have to endure a lot of suffering, but in the end, they always win despite the odds. _

"_I want to be a hero like Bellerophon someday! I want to defeat the bad guys and save the world!"_

_My mom laughed and ruffled my hair. "And when you do, make sure that you never give up okay? No matter what happens, you have to promise me that."_

"_I promise." _

"_Okay then, my little hero. It's time to go to sleep now. A hero needs his rest right?"_

"_Aww…but I don't want to go to sleep."_

"Hey Jackson, did you hear me?"

I woke up with a start. "Who? What? Where?" I looked up to find that Will was staring at me with an irritated expression.

"I said, we're about to leave. Now get off your lazy ass and go."

I sighed. Sometimes, I really wished I never left home.

* * *

**-Yawn- Damn I'm tired. It's like, 1:36 A.M right now. I'm going to go to sleep now. **

**Night guys! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the reviews guys! I love you! Free internet cookies for everybody! (::)**

**Disclaimer: If I were Rick Riordan, I wouldn't have killed off Luke in the Last Olympian.**

* * *

"Prissy blowhard*!" I shouted.

"No good plebian!" Will angrily answered back.

At this point in the argument, I had no idea what we were fighting about. All that mattered to me that I wanted to win. It's been one week since Will "joined" our team. I have got to say, I haven't had this strong of an urge to kill somebody since I was 13.

We were somewhere in southern Pennsylvania and it was June 28th. Annabeth went out to pick firewood. She left us two in charge of setting up camp and guarding it. We went as far as pitching the tent before going at each other's throats. But the good news is, Will is going to leave soon. After all, we are in Pennsylvania.

"Bastard!"

"Son of a bitch!"

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

Annabeth was standing in front of us with her hands on her hips. She had a scowl on her face and her grey eyes were stormy. The firewood that she collected lay on the ground.

We both stopped what we doing and looked at her dumbfounded.

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't give me that look! Both of you are acting like children. Then again, I wouldn't have expected much of two former Union soldiers."

"It wasn't my fault!" Will defended. "Jackson over there started it!"

"Hey! Don't blame it on me. It was your fault too!" I argued.

Annabeth rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "You know what, just forget about it. For once, can both of you get _along? _I mean, really, is it that hard?"

"Umm," I said. Great, I thought. Way to give an intelligent answer.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She swept her eyes over the "camp" that we made. "And I see that you didn't do what you were supposed to do. I'm going out to get more supplies. Mr. Solace since you know the area, come with me." She walked into the woods.

Will smirked. "Bye Percy, have fun." He grabbed a gun that we got a few days ago and left with Annabeth.

You know, I _really _should've killed him when I had the chance. With a sigh, I began to try and attempt of making a fire.

As I rubbed two pieces of firewood against one another I thought about the past few days. For one thing, I understood one part of the enigma that was Annabeth Chase.

-Begin Flashback-

"_Remind me again why we're doing this again?" I asked. _

"_I never told you, now shut up," Annabeth said curtly. _

_Another day had gone by and Annabeth and I were sitting around the fire that we just made. Will was outhunting for food (I got to admit, the guy was a good shot). But, it was nice without him boasting about his "high status" and stuff._

"_From what I can tell, you've been well raised. Are you rich or something?" _

_Annabeth's interest suddenly went up. "Who told you that?" _

_I shrugged nobody. "You refer every one as either mister or miss. And you seem to have manners since you eat your food with utensils and not with your hands. There's something about you that's…high quality. You seem educated and you get along with Will, who's also from a rich family. So who are you exactly?"_

_She raised one of her eyebrows. "Looks like you're not the Seaweed Brain I took you for. I'm impressed." _

_It was my turn to be surprised. "Hold on, Seaweed Brain? Is that my nickname or something?" _

"_God, you're dense. But yes, it is. Your eyes are green, which remind me of seaweed. And you don't really use your brain."_

_I laughed. "Then if I have nickname, shouldn't you have one too?" I thought I about this for a few seconds. "Owl Head, I'll call you Owl Head," I responded. "Your eyes remind me of a owl's feathers and owls are associated with wisdom, and you're pretty smart." _

"_Pretty, Percy? I __**am **__smart," she retorted. "To answer your question, yes I am from a rich family. My dad is an inventor making war machines for the Confederacy. But initially, we were plantation owners. I ran away because I was forcefully engaged to a guy I didn't love." _

_I was fine until she said "plantation." "Of course, you owned slaves. Doesn't everybody in the South do?" _

"_Actually," Annabeth started. "Very few people own slaves in the South. Only the wealthy and powerful can afford them. And if you're wondering, we do not abuse them like other plantation owners." She made a disgusted face. "It's people like them that give Southerners a bad name. Since I told some stuff about myself, why don't you tell me about yourself?"_

"_Well, I suppose it's only fair," I muttered. "As you know, I'm from New York. My mom is working at a factory that makes clothing, and the pay isn't good. I do what I can to help, but it isn't enough. That's why I joined the army. The pay is pretty good and my mom won't have to feed two mouths anymore. I'm planning on to send some money to her until this happened. My mom is probably worried sick about me too…" _

_Annabeth looked sympathetic. "Sorry, for dragging you into this predicament. We're going north anyway. You're live in New York right? I'm planning on stopping there. You can finally go home." _

_I smiled, the first time I did in a long time. "Thanks." _

_A few minutes later, Will came in and brought in some dead rabbits and some berries. Like always, he and I got in another fight. After we roasted the animals and ate our dinner, we went to sleep. _

_As I laid there on the ground, I thought to myself, perhaps this isn't too bad after all. _

-End Flashback-

After what felt like hours of rubbing, a spark ignited and set the other pieces of wood on fire.

"About time," I thought. I wonder when Annabeth and Will are coming back…

* * *

**Will's P.O.V**

"So Miss. Chase," I began. "You're from Virginia right?"

"Yes." She said without looking back at me. "Why does it concern you?"

"Well, what's a southern belle like you doing with two Union soldiers? Shouldn't you be sewing clothes for your grey back** husband or something?"

I didn't expect a response, but what I wasn't expecting have a knife being pointed at me.

"Listen, I ran away for a reason alright? And that reason is to get away from my family," she growled. "Does that answer your question?"

"Sheesh, you didn't have to get all mad and stuff." I put my hands in front of my self.

She put the knife away, thankfully. We continued our walk to the town in silence.

Fifteen minutes later, we were here.

"Welcome to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Miss. Chase," I said.

"I can read Mr. Solace." She pointed to the sign I was reading it from. "Alright, you go into the weapons store and get some more bullets while I go to the clothing shop and get some clothes for the three of us. After we're both done, we'll meet up here, got it?"

"Got it," I answered. "You know where it is right? I could show you it if you want. I've been here before."

"No it's fine. I'll just ask somebody else. Thank you anyway."

I shrugged. "If you insist Miss Chase."

With that, we both went our separate ways.

…

I stopped at the front of the weapon's store.

"Valdez's Blacksmith Shop," I read. "Looks like I'm in the right place."

I went inside. Mr. Valdez, the owner, was busy putting together a gun. When he saw me, he stopped what he was doing and came to me with a wide smile on his face.

"Ah, Señor Solace! Long time no see, old friend."

I grinned. "Hello Leo, how've you been doing?"

Leo grinned. "I'm fine as ever. Business is booming ever since the War Between the States begun. What do you need? A new gun, ammunition?"

"Really? Good for you," I answered. I brought out the hand gun. "I need some .31 caliber bullets for this beauty."

"Oh, a Remington Model 1858***! From your _padre, _I assume?"

"Yeah, he wanted me to defend myself and he doesn't trust the guns that the Union army issues."

"I understand." He went into the back room and brought out a box of bullets. Here's the ammunition you wanted. And since I'm doing well, you can have these for free."

"Thanks, but are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yup, it's on me. Anything for an old friend."

I smiled. "Thank you. And hey, if I manage to get out of this war alive, I'll pay you back."

"I'll remember that. _Adios, amigo!_" He said. "Oh and by the way, I heard what happened at Bull Run, are you okay? How'd you manage to get out of that alive?"

"Oh, err, I met some people on the way and they helped me. I wanted to pay them back by helping one of the members out with something. After that, I'll probably return home and go back to my normal life style."

Leo shrugged. "Whatever, I'll see you later."

"You too Valdez," I said.

I walked out of the blacksmith shop. For some reason I had the strangest feeling of being watched…

* * *

**Annabeth's P.O.V **

I walked out of the store carrying various articles of clothing. With the money I brought from home, I bought a frock coat and trousers for each of the boys and a simple dress for myself. I wasn't a big fan of dresses, but at least this one looked like it wasn't going to suffocate me.

I was heading towards our meeting spot, when I saw something that frightened me.

It was Luke, Luke Castellan. What was he doing here?

He was dressed in a fine suit (like always) and was looking around; probably for me

I tried getting away as fast and inconspicuously could, too bad it failed.

Luke saw me and immediately came over to my side.

"There you are Miss Chase! I was looking everywhere for you. Where have you been?" He grabbed my hand. I dropped the things that I bought.

I glared at him. "It's none of your business. Now let go of me."

He had an expression of mock hurt on his face. It irritated me. "That isn't how a fiancée should act for her future husband."

"Don't mention that again." I broke away from his hold and immediately pointed my knife at his throat."

To my surprise, he smiled. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why not?"

He pointed to a shop. Will was there and was walking towards the meeting place.. And behind him was a man with a gun pointed at him. Will didn't seem to have the faintest idea of what was happening.

"Now, go with me back to Virginia without any problems and I'll let your little friend live. Do we have a deal?"

I scowled. I didn't like it, but I had to do it. I'm really sorry about this Percy, Will, especially to you Percy.

I sighed. "Okay, I'll go back to Virginia with you."

Luke grinned. "I knew you were a sensible girl. Let's go home shall we?" He whistled and a man came up with a horse. "Ladies first."

I looked at the fallen clothing. I gazed to where Will was. Hopefully, he gets the message.

"Let's go then."

**Will's P.O.V**

What was taking that girl so long? I've been waiting here for five minutes and she still hasn't shown up. I know that she's a girl, but does shopping for clothes really take that long?

I decided to go back into Gettysburg and look for her.

I went to the clothing store and found that she wasn't there. My foot hit something. I looked down to find a pair of pants on the floor. It looked about my size. There were also other articles of clothing strewn about on the ground. I figured that these were the clothes that Annabeth brought us.

But the question is, where is she?

She didn't seem the girl to just randomly run off and the way that the clothes were laying tells me that she was forced to drop them.

The realization dawned on me…

Oh no, I have got to tell Percy!

I ran off towards the camp.

* * *

**And so, the plot thickens. **

**Not much Percy in here, but the next chapter is going to be all about him. And yes that was Leo Valdez in Will's P.O.V. I'm planning on doing a one-shot that describes on how they met, but not now. **

**This took me a **_**long **_**time to write out. My back is hurting from sitting up straight. I'll see you guy's next chapter. **

**Explanation on some terms:**

***A big shot/braggart**

****Term used by Northern soldiers to describe Confederates meaning lice. **

*****A type of revolver that was popular in the Civil War. **


	6. Chapter 6

**It's been like, 11 days since my last update huh? For some reason, this chapter was difficult for me to write. If this chapter seems a bit low on quality, blame me. The next chapter will be better. It will probably be out in the beginning of February. Yes, I know a late update. But ever since the winter storm hit, midterms has been pushed and I need that extra week to study. **

**Disclaimer: -insert clever disclaimer here-**

* * *

Have I ever told you how much I hated my life right now? First, I get threatened by a girl. Then my arch nemesis and sworn rival joins our little "group." Finally, the girl gets kidnapped by her unwanted fiancée under said rivals' watch and is currently somewhere on the road from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It's been one full day since her disappearance, so it was June 29th.

By this point, I wanted to slam my head against a tree and hope I die from trauma to the head. But right now, I'm busy planning on how to save Annabeth from her kidnapper.

"Percy," Will said.

I glared at him. "What?"

We were in the same spot as yesterday, the woods. It was about noontime and the farthest I ever gotten along with the "plan" was buying paper and ink to write on.

"I thought you were going to go up to New York and visit your mom or something, not planning out a quest to save Miss Chase," the blonde finished.

"I made a promise to her that I would help her run away and I'm going back on that promise," I answered.

Will raised an eyebrow. "Never took you to be so gentlemanly and noble like, Jackson. Perhaps there is hope for you after all. What about your mum, are you going to travel to New York and then back to Virginia? It'll take you a least a month to travel that far."

"Gee, why didn't I think of that before? Look, after I'm finished with this plan-"

"That you haven't even started."

I pretended to ignore his comment. "I'll use the extra paper and ink to write another letter to my mom, explaining all that has happened so far. She'll understand." Probably.

Will shrugged. "Whatever." He looked over to my shoulder where the blank piece of paper was. "You need any help, there?"

I hesitated. Should I, or should I not? I wasn't very good at planning, or fore thought for that matter. Then again if I don't accept his help, it'll take forever to do.

"Sure."

And so for the next hour or two, Will and I were coming up with a fool proof plan to save Annabeth. Okay, not exactly foolproof…or smart…or safe. But it was a plan.

Step 1: Get from Gettysburg to Richmond. Easy. It was only a couple days walking if we hurry.

Step 2: When arriving, ask around for the Chase resident. Hopefully, _hopefully, _we (or I if Will decides not to go) don't look suspicious.

Step 3: Quietly break in and escape with Annabeth, with no bullet holes in the each of us.

Step 4: Run like hell.

"So, Will, are you coming?"

"Err… I don't know really," Will put his arms behind his head. "I mean, if I go, then there'll be a lesser chance of you screwing up and ruining the whole thing. But if I don't go, then this-"He pointed at his face. "will still be beautiful and ready to charm the ladies."

"Choose one you idiot; your pride or your self-absorbed vanity."

"Hmm…I guess my pride. Besides if I get out of this alive, I have something heroic to tell the ladies, which will only boost my charm even more."

I sighed. _If _he gets out alive, and that probably isn't going to happen before I strangle him first. "…Okay then."

Will smiled. "Great! I'm glad you understand. Oh and can we make a quick stop at my house? I have some things I need to take care of before we leave. It isn't far from here, it's in York."

"Fine," I snapped. I just wanted to get this over with, the faster we get to Virginia, the faster I'll be rid of him. "What do you need to do there anyways?"

"Just need to tell my mum and dad that I'm taking a short trip down south and get some supplies, horses, food, clothing, and the like."

"Great," I replied. I grabbed a blank piece of paper and the ink bottle. "Now can you give me some privacy? I'm writing a letter."

"Alright then," Will said. "When you're finished, call me and we'll deliver it to the postman. The we'll be on our way to York."

I set the pen on the paper and began to write.

_Dear Mom, _

_I'm sorry that I haven't replied to you in days. In fact, I haven't even gotten the letter that you sent me. Things have been…hectic and plans have been changed. You're probably freaking out right now, and you have a good reason to. I'm going to come home mom; it's just that, it's taking me longer than I thought. I'm not exactly feeling good right now, but I had worse days. I'll survive. My leg's a bit sore from getting shot, but it's nothing to worry about. _

_Did the money I sent you help at all? I'll be sending more money; I don't know where I'll get it from though now that I deserted. _

_Anyway, right now I'm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I'm heading to York next with my…companion. And then after that we're heading to Richmond. Don't ask why, it's complicated. But it has to do with another companion of mines getting kidnapped. If you're going to send me a letter, send it to Richmond. I'll be there within 2-3 days. _

_With love, _

_Percy. _

I folded up the letter and told Will to go to town and send it for me. I trust him enough that he won't read it. After a while he came back and we set off towards York.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time we arrived. Will's house was situated on the outskirts of town, meaning that he had a lot of land. It was clear that his family was top rail*. The house itself was big and surrounded with colorful flowers surrounding it. The lights inside looked cheerful and friendly. Various carriages were lined up along the side of the road. So I guess there must be a party going on.

I looked down at myself, my clothes were slightly dirty from walking and they were simple. I sniffed myself and fund out that I smelled terrible, as if I recently just came from scooping excrement out from the horse stables.

I then looked at Will. His back was straight and his clothes were still dirty, but at least he looked like a gentleman. He smelled better than me too.

Will had a slight frown on his face. "Damn, I forget it was my little sister's birthday today. And I didn't even give her a present…" He shook his head. "I don't have enough money to buy her anything either."

Will had a sister? By the way he was acting; I thought he was an only child with his air of superiority and what not. Still, I felt bad for the guy. "Don't worry, I mean, if your sister loves you then she won't mind if you don't give her anything, right?"

"I suppose she won't." Will straightened and smoothed out his clothes and looked at me with a smirk on his face. "Let's join the party now, shall we?"

We walked onto Will's porch and knocked on the door. A servant opened it and his eyes widened.

"M-ma-master Will, what are you doing here?" the servant stuttered. He looked like he saw a ghost.

"I'm here to celebrate my dear sister's birthday and get some supplies of course. I'll stay until tomorrow morning and then I'll be off on my way."

"But that's impossible! You're supposed to be dead!"

Will had a confused look on his face. "What? Who told you that I was dead?" He grabbed the man's shoulders. "When did this happen?"

"It happened a few days ago, after the Battle of Bull Run. We looked everywhere for you, but you didn't come up. We found your belongings there too, discarded. After a few days of searching, we concluded that you were dead. We even had a funeral for you and everything!" The man explained frantically.

Will gritted his teeth. "Well as you can see, I'm alive and healthy. I was just helping a couple of friends go somewhere."

The servant the looked at me. "You mean him?" He examined me up and down with a somewhat distasteful expression on his face. I felt mildly offended.

"Nope, but he was helping out to. We're both leaving for Virginia later. And would you mine letting us in?"

"O-of course not sir!" He bowed. "Your parents and sister are in the back opening presents."

We stepped inside. The party was in full swing by the time we entered. The men were dressed up in their finest clothing, tail coats, dress shirts, trousers. The women were wearing dresses of all sorts of colors. I'll admit, I felt uncomfortable and under dressed.

I looked around. The amount of food was unbelievable. Cakes of all flavors decorated the table. There were various kinds of delicacies, I was eager to try them all out.

The moment we stepped in, all conversations were dropped and every person in the room turned their eyes to face us.

"William, is that you?" A man of about 40 years of age came to us with a woman and child trailing from behind.

"Yes, father it is me. And before you ask, no I am not a ghost that has come back to haunt you. I really am alive." Will's smile got even bigger.

The woman immediately hugged him. "Oh my darling son! You've come back!" she exclaimed happily. "Today is truly a joyful day, my son has come back and my daughter is growing into a woman!"

"Mother," Will said with a strangled voice. "Can you get off of me now? I'm afraid that if you hold on any longer, my ribcage will break. And that would be an unfortunate thing to happen."

Will's mom stopped hugging him. "Sorry 'bout that. I'm just so incredibly happy!"

The little girl came up to him and tugged on his pants. "Willy! Willy! You came back!"

"Ah Kayla, it's good to see you again," He picked her up. "Happy birthday sis. I don't have anything to give you, but that's okay right?"

The girl beamed at him. "That's okay Willy, I just wanted you to come home."

The whole entire scene made me feel all warm inside. Who knew that Will can be such a family guy? I always that he was an uppity** fool, who was cold and arrogant to everybody. If he showed this side of him more often, I wouldn't have minded traveling with him.

Will cleared his throat. "Anyways, mother, father, I would like you to meet my companion Percy Jackson."

Will's parents turned their attention toward me. "So you're the guy who has been traveling with our son?"

"Yes sir," I replied.

"Tell us about yourself."

And so I did. I told them the time from when I left New York to how I ended up in this place. I left a few things out such as the times I really wanted punch Will in the face. I told them about Annabeth, but only a few things about her.

When I was done, a look of consideration was on the man's face. "Impressive for a young man of your age. Your family is very poor am I correct?"

"Well, we're not exactly poor, but we get by."

"Nonsense, as a reward for bringing our son safe and sound, we'll give you $1000 dollars."

My jaw dropped. One thousand dollars? That was enough to feed my mom and I for at least a year. We might even get a house with that money. I can't believe Mr. and Mrs. Solace is giving all this money to us. Then again, Will's family was rich so this king of money probably meant close to nothing.

"Thank you."

The women laughed. "It's nothing dear. Are you willing to stay for the night? You're leaving for Richmond in the morning, yes?"

I didn't want to push their hospitality but I was grateful. Besides, I didn't have anywhere else to sleep. "That would be fine Mrs. Solace. In the morning I'll be sure to won't bother you again." I heard my stomach growl. My eyes shifted to the banquet table. "Do you mind if I get some food?"

"It's no problem dear," the woman smiled.

I made a bee line to the table and grabbed a plate and spoon. I then commenced to fill my plate up with every blue colored food I can find (I was quite fond of blue food). I avoided all the seafood. I loved the sea and every animal in it, I can't bring myself to hurt them, much less eat them.

At around 11:00, the party disbanded and it was time to go to sleep. A servant guided me to my room. It was much bigger than my old room, possibly bigger than the apartment I lived. Nevertheless, I peeled off my clothing and flopped on my bed. I wonder how Annabeth's doing…

* * *

**And we're done. This chapter was longer than I thought it would be, it's six pages on word. I'm not entirely happy with the beginning and the party scene. **

**Next chapter would be in Annabeth's P.O.V. I'll see you then. **

**Explanation on some words:**

***First class**

****Someone who is conceited or believes that he is above you in life. **


	7. Chapter 7

…**This still counts as "early" February right? **

**Sean Son of Athena: I'm really trying to get some battles in here, I really am. If memory serves correctly, the next battle should be at Wilson's Creek right? Sadly, this story doesn't takes place there. But I will try to get at least one or two more battles before this story ends. **

**Disclaimer: After one week of absence, I still haven't obtained the rights to PJO.**

* * *

If I would take a guess, I would guess that Percy and William are trying to formulate a plan to "save" me right now, and a ridiculous one at that. They're probably strangling one another as I speak. Why must men fight when they're trying to resolve an issue? Men! And they say women are hard to understand…

I walked over to my window where the sky was colored with soft oranges, pinks, and a light blue. The background was a picturesque picture of a calm landscape and an evening sky. One of the workers, Grover, was busy herding the animals into their stables. The whole thing looked so peaceful. If only my life were like that.

"Miss Chase?" a voice said behind the door. "I have your dinner. Can I come in?"

"Yes, you may enter," I answered.

I heard a click from the door, the sound of a lock opening. Ever since my failed attempt at running away, father has tightened the security at our house. The windows were locked and secured with chains. He had guards posted at my door 24/7 and outside the house. I wasn't allowed outside, or outside my room for that matter. In fact, I haven't gotten any outside contact. It was driving me mad being cooped inside of my room. It was almost impossible to get out of here. My only chance was that Percy and Will can arrive here and make their "plan" work. But I seriously doubt it.

The servant entered into the room. Like most of the servants here, he was black. I didn't recognize him from before, so I assumed he was new here. He had a cast around his arm and a plate of tea and sandwiches in the other.

He placed the plate on my dresser and bowed to me. "Enjoy your dinner Miss Chase." He turned around to leave, when I stopped him.

At this point, I was pretty desperate for human contact. Father rarely talked to me nowadays and it's pretty lonely when in here. Besides, he might prove a useful ally.

"What's your name?" I asked.

The man looked at me with a confused expression on his face. I don't blame him. He probably wasn't used to captive girls being held in their home talking to him. Now that I have a better look at his face, I could tell that he wasn't that much older than me, perhaps a year or two older.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf? I asked you for your name."

"Oh! The name's Beckendorf, Charles Beckendorf. But everybody calls me by my last name."

"Nice name and I assume that you know mines?"

Beckendorf nodded. "Yes, Annabeth Chase wasn't it? The other servants told me your name actually. They speak highly of you."

"As they should." Even though they're from a lower class, I still treat them like human beings, unlike _some _people. At least I know that I have some allies in this house. "Anyway, are you new here? I don't recall you being here a couple of weeks ago."

Mr. Beckendorf shrugged. "I just came here last week. One of the workers saw me, Grover, I think his name was. I was wandering around with a broken arm when he found me. He took me to your father and he decided that I could stay here working for him until my arm gets better. Besides, I was planning on going to the South anyway."

I raised an eyebrow. That was the first time I ever heard a Northerner say he wanted to go to the South. Usually, they wanted to get _out _of here. Curious, I pressed him for answers. "And why is that?"

Mr. Beckendorf suddenly had a dreamy look on his face, a look of longing. "Well, you see, there's this girl I fancy." Of course it had to be a girl. What else could bring somebody here than love?

"She lives in Virginia and is as rich as you. We met before the war started; her dad was going on business trip to Maryland- which is where I live. After a few…incidents, we were in love with each other. But by then, she had to leave. I promised her one day that we would meet. That is my reason."

"A very touching story Mr. Beckendorf," I said, "And I don't mean to pry, but what does this girl look like?"

He pulled out a carte de visite* from his pocket and gave it to me. "It was taken on the last day of her visit in Maryland. Her father, of course, doesn't know about it."

I took the picture from his hand and examined it. There was Beckendorf, a smile on his face and his arms around a girl's waist. They were standing in front of a park, with flowers of different colors around them. Beckendorf was dressed very simply, with the clothes slightly wrinkled and dirty. The girl was a different story. She was dressed in an expensive-looking dress with frills and lace with white kid gloves and a hat. Her face was framed with long locks of black hair and her eyes sparkled with happiness. Compared to Beckendorf, she was incredibly small. But, she was the very definition of "beautiful."

And I recognized her. We aren't very close, but she was nice enough. I met her a few times; in fact, she was at my birthday party! Surely this couldn't be…

Beckendorf smiled. "Beautiful isn't she? Her name is Silena Beauregard."

* * *

After I recovered from my initial shock, an idea formed in my head. Silena didn't live far from here, only a few miles off.

Silena Beauregard- originally from Louisiana, moved to Virginia. Daughter of the famous General P.G.T Beauregard, who won at Fort Sumter.

"You're in luck Mr. Beckendorf; I know who this girl is, and better yet, I know where she lives."

His eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Where?"

"I'll tell you, heck, I'll even take you there. But you have to do me a favor…"

I whispered my plan into his ear.

"Do you understand what are you supposed to do Mr. Beckendorf? Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded. "Yes Miss Chase. I'll have it ready by tomorrow."

"Good." And with that he softly closed the door. I heard the lock click into place. I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. In a few more hours I'll be gone from this place…

* * *

**Looks like an alliance has been formed between Charles Beckendorf and Annabeth Chase. Luke Castellan will appear next chapter along with our favorite quarreling heroes, Percy Jackson and Will Solace.**

**Oh yeah, and about Silena being the daughter of General Beauregard, that's just for the story. But he did have three children, two girls and a boy. **

**I'll see you guys in the next chapter, whenever that might be. **

**Explanation on some terms:**

***photograph on a small card. **


	8. Chapter 8

**The beginning is pretty lame, but I like the stuff after that. I have a mild case of writers block, but hopefully that will go away soon. As promised, this chapter will have Percy, Will, and Luke featured in it. Happy reading! **

**Disclaimer: Me-Hey Mr. Riordan, can I have the right for PJO? **

** Rick Riordan: Hahahahaha, no. **

** Me: D: And there you go.**

* * *

Surprisingly, the journey from York to Richmond was not that bad- that is if you ignore Will calling me a "low-life that has no acting skills whatsoever."

We've arrived in Virginia yesterday and are currently at a small restaurant. Will was giving me lessons in talking in a Southern accent because "we don't want to look suspicious or a Yank." Personally, I don't think my acting skills are all that bad, but Will begs to differ.

The restaurant itself was a small and tidy place with lots of windows and plants. There weren't a lot of people inside; they're all probably fighting for the Confederates. Ever since the war started, food was being transferred to the soldiers for the war effort- which explains why we're only eating bread and drinking tea.

"Repeat after me, 'How are y'all doing on this fine day?'" Will drawled.

"How are you all doing this fine day?" I repeated. I'm pretty sure I did well.

The blonde slapped me in the back of the head. "It's 'y'all' not 'you all'! How hard is it to do that? Huh?" You could basically see the impatience and frustration in his voice.

"Well excuse me Mr. I'm-better-and-richer-than-you," I retorted. "Not everybody can be as 'perfect' as you are."

Will pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright, we'll work on your manners then. After that we can continue with the accent and such."

"Rule number one in mannerism: Always refer to someone you don't know as either Mr. or Mrs. Or Miss, and that's the one with the two s's, if they're unmarried."

I nodded. "Got it." I popped a piece of bread into my mouth.

"Rule number two: Practice basic etiquette. Do not chew with your mouth open, it looks disgusting and rude." He said this while looking at my open mouth.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, I quickly closed it.

"Okay, now to move on to posture and eye contact…" Will got up, his back as straight as a ruler. "Now you try."

Got up from my set and (attempted) to stand up straight. I wasn't really used to this; normally my back would be bent while I was working the factory. My mom didn't mind, and therefore didn't correct me.

The blonde rubbed his forehead. "Make your back straighter Jackson! You look like a crippled old man with that posture."

I rolled my eyes. "If my back could go any straighter, then I would never be able to bend down again."

Will narrowed his blue eyes. "I suppose it's alright, could be better though. Now on to the next lesson…"

I internally groaned. How many more lessons could there be? God, give me the strength to get through them without punching this guy in the face.

* * *

**A few more lessons in mannerisms and several more face palms later…**

It was 2:00 by the time Will finished with his instruction. He declared that I was "passable" for a Southern gentleman. We decided to take a break and scout around. He went on his way to ask for the address of the Chase residence while I went on to the post office.

The man behind the counter had his back to me and looked like he was reading a newspaper.

"Excuse me good sir," I said in the best Southern accent I could manage. I lightly tapped his shoulder. "Do you have any mail sent to a 'Percy Jackson?'"

The man turned around. He had a rather large mustache and blonde hair. His face was currently scrunched up in an expression of annoyance.

He got up and walked towards the back and came out with a white envelope.

I took it from him and with a smile I said "Thank you."

As I walked out, I could've sworn that I heard him say "Damn kid." Sheesh, all I asked was a letter. Do all Southerners act like that?

I quickly opened it and read its contents.

_Percy, _

_Thank God that you're safe! I was worrying about you. I feared that the worst came to be and that I would never get to see you again. All your friends are asking about where you are, even Nico is worrying about you! Though, he wouldn't admit it to herself. But I know he cares. We've split up the thousand dollars that you've given me. It would be selfish of me if I were to keep it for myself. _

_A lot has happened since you left to fight. Clarisse La Rue decided to fight in the war. Since the army doesn't allow woman to fight, she decided to cross dress as a man. Now instead of Clarisse she's known as "Chris." I don't know how that's going to work out, but I bid her good luck. _

_As for my health, I'm doing well. I've used to money to move into a slightly larger apartment. It isn't the best one out there, but it's better than our old one. There are also a lot more food shortages. The price of food has risen up twofold. They don't affect me very much since I'm living alone, but for the families that have two or more children…well that's a problem. I'm doing all that I can to support them, but at this rate I'm going to run out of money to buy food. _

_Now, I'm not saying that you should stop what you're doing and get some money. When you come across some of it, just send a little bit to us. Okay? And about your situation, that's fine. I won't intrude. But I won't say that I'm a bit curious to know what you're doing. After you're finished with that, promise you'll come back home to New York alright? _

_Best of luck, _

_Mom. _

After reading the letter, I felt a little bit nostalgic and a little surprised at the same time. I mean, Clarisse cross dressing? I imagined her with short hair and a deeper voice, which I totally failed at. But she certainly had the…tenacity to make it into the army. She was absolutely terrifying when she fought and one of the strongest girls I ever met.

I tucked the letter safely inside my waist coat and went on to search for Will. He should have _something _be now.

* * *

**Will's P.O.V**

I asked twenty people and I got nothing. It was either that, or they refused to tell me. Jeez Louise, how hard was it to find one simple address?

Sighing, I decided to go to a local tavern and refresh myself.

The tavern was small and dark, only a few people were inside. One group was playing cards while another were talking in hushed tones. In the back, there was one person sitting with his hat down. For some reason, I felt like I should know that person. Curiously, I went over there and sat next to him.

The mysterious person looked up when I sat. He was handsome, but he had a long scar running down his right eye. He was dressed up nicely; the clothes were a bit dirty and rumbled though. He had blonde hair, just a shade lighter than mines. Cold blue eyes stared at me and he had shadows underneath them. A look passed by his face for a second, but it was so quick I thought I imagined it.

Nevertheless, I gave him my best smiled (the one reserved just for the ladies). "So, what's your name?" I asked in a Southern accent. I put out my hand.

The man shook it. "My name's Luke, Luke Castellan." His eyes didn't leave my face.

Unnerved, I answered back. "Nice to meet you Mr. Castellan. My name's William Solace, or Will for short."

"It's a pleasure Mr. Solace."

There were a few minutes of awkward silence.

I cleared my throat. "Anyways, can you help me with something?"

Mr. Castellan raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Do you know the location if the Chase residence? I'm looking a certain friend of mine and I was hoping that you would-"

"If you would excuse me, I have to go," Mr. Castellan quickly said. "Good day." He rushed out the door.

" Wait!" I cried. I raced out the door, earning some looks from the tavern goers. I whipped my head left and right and I spotted him getting a horse and riding out of town.

I sprinted towards him, hoping to catch him before he leaves. I was within a 20 feet of him until I was knocked over.

"Hey watch where you're- Will is that you?"

My eyes widened. "Percy? What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are you doing here?"

"I was tracking down a suspicious person before you came and intervened. He's probably long gone by now!"

"Well, he's not completely gone. He left tracks behind him." Percy pointed out some horseshoe tracks heading south.

"Alright then," I rubbed the back of my head. "We'll follow him on foot."

* * *

It took us about 10 minutes to reach the end of the tracks. We were met with a large expanse of land and in the center of it was a grand house. Behind it were fields of cotton and various plants tended by slaves. It was no mistaking it; we were at the Chase residence. And Annabeth was somewhere inside that house.

I turned to look at Percy. "You got your gun right? In case your plan doesn't work? (which I did think)."

Percy nodded. "Yeah." He pulled out a revolver. "Let's save Annabeth from these bastards."

What Percy and Will didn't notice were two figures coming from the top window, landing on the ground and running towards the woods.

* * *

**This chapter was a pain in the ass to write. In my opinion, the ending totally sucked but whatever. Anyway, I posted a new story. The title is "Better." I'm not entirely sure how's it going to turn out, or if I'll continue it. Check it out. **


	9. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

**Due to some problems, this story and the other one that I'm working on would be put on an ****INDEFINITE**** hiatus. **

**Look, I'm not happy about this either. I'm hoping, **_**hoping, **_**that this event will blow over quick. Writing fanfiction is not a priority at this time. As soon as this event is over, I will go back to writing. I know, it's too early in the story to be put in hiatus. But I got the next couple of chapters planned out and when I have free time, I will post them. **

**I'm not entirely sure how long this would last- maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months. I don't know. **

**Again, I'm sorry. I promise that I will finish this story no matter what. **

**Until next time, **

**-LeaderofBrooklyn **


	10. Chapter 9

**...Wow. That hiatus was shorter than I thought it would be. I guess you guys deserve an explanation. **

**You know how I broke my leg a few chapters back? Well, I found out that it was a little bit **_**more **_**than just a leg injury. No, it wasn't anything serious. But the important part is that I recovered and am now back to writing. **

**And that is why I went on a hiatus. At the end of this chapter, I have some more good news and bad news. **

**Just a heads up, I'm sort of messing with history here by adding another occupation to P.G.T Beauregard's "family." It won't affect the actual timeline very much, so I hope you guys don't mind. **

**Disclaimer: Despite being gone for almost a month, I still haven't obtained the rights to PJO.**

* * *

I never thought I would be traveling to the Beauregard Household willingly with a man that I barely even knew. My family and their family has been friends for as long as I remember. It was only natural because my dad specialized in weaponry while the Beauregard's were a prominent family in the South.

Their niece, Silena, was considered to be the most beautiful girl in all of Virginia. She constantly had marriage proposals from other famous families in the South, the most recent one being from Mark Sherman. She turned them all down, I guess because of Charles Beckendorf. I played with her a couple of times, and she was a pretty decent girl as far as I can see.

After a couple of miles, we reached the Beauregard House. Like all manor's in Virginia, this one was big and white with lots of fields for planting. It was the mid-afternoon when Beckendorf and I arrived so the slaves were still out working. Outside was neat and tidy with flowers of every kind and color, filling the air with their fragrance.

But there was another scent with it, something that smelled sweet and rich. Sort of like…

"Is that chocolate?" Beckendorf asked. He sniffed the air.

"Indeed it is Beckendorf," I confirmed. "Not only the Beauregard's are known for their generals _and _their 'delicious' chocolates."

Beckendorf raised an eyebrow. "You mean their chocolates aren't delicious? And why are they making some of that sweet stuff anyway? The Southern climate isn't right for growing cocoa beans."

"For your first question, _I _don't think that they're good. In my opinion, they taste like cardboard. That's you're decision to decided if they're good or not. For your second question, you'll see in a second."

We walked up to the front porch and knocked on the wooden doors.

"Coming!" a voice yelled.

No other person but Silena Beauregard answered the door. Her normally immaculate hair was slightly messy and dark circles were under her eyes. Some stains were also evident on her pink dress. Nevertheless, she still managed to look beautiful.

But it also raised another question.

The Beauregard's had plenty of servants. So, why did Silena look so tired? It wasn't normal for a high ranking person like her to look like this.

The other girl smiled, instantly brightening up her face. "Good afternoon Annabeth!" She embraced me with a rib-crushing hug.

"Uh, Silena," I choked. "Can you kindly let go of me please? Your sort of suffocating me."

Silena instantly let go of me. "Sorry about that," she sheepishly said. "It's been such a long time since I've seen you, or anybody for that matter."

"Silena, it's been only a couple of weeks since I last saw you. And that was at my birthday party remember?"

"But a couple of weeks is much too long!" the Beauregard girl argued. "It's so lonely in this big house of mines. Daddy is always away and mother's gone as you know. I guess I can talk to the slaves, but they always avoid me since Im a white girl and all."

I felt sorry for Silena, even though she was beautiful, she was pretty much alone. Her mother left before she was born, and she married the guy that started the chocolate business. But then that man died and she went to her uncle, which was P.G.T Beauregard. Then the War Between the States happened and now she's here.

"No need to worry Silena," I reassured. "We're here. Now aren't you going to be a good hostess and let me and my companion in?"

Silena blinked. "Companion?" She moved her eyes to the right of me, where Beckendorf was standing. He had a furious red blush spreading over his cheeks and looked like he was about to faint.

Well, he didn't. But Silena did.

Beckendorf caught her limp body right before she hit the ground.

"Should we bring her inside Miss Chase?" Beckendorf asked. His cheeks were even redder now.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. "I suppose so."

* * *

It was one hour until Silena regained conciseness.

By the time when she woke up, it was already 5:00 in the afternoon and Beckendorf and I made our self's comfortable. We put her in her bedroom and Beckendorf never left her side. I brought in some cold towels to put on her head and some chamomile tea for us to drink.

Silena groaned. "Ugh, what happened? The last thing I remember is seeing Charlie's face. Was it all a dream?"

She came face to face with Beckendorf again.

"He-hello Miss Beauregard," he stuttered. "Nice to see you again huh?"

Silena promptly fainted.

I sighed. "I'll go get us some more tea. It's going to be a long night."

* * *

It was 30 minutes until Silena regained conciseness, _again. _

This time, I remembered to hold up Silena so I wouldn't lose her again.

The girl looked at Beckendorf with a nervous face. "We finally meet again Charlie. What has it been, a year since we last saw each other in Maryland?"

"Give or take a few months Miss Beauregard," Beckendorf answered just as nervously.

Silena nodded. "Indeed it has. How've you been Charlie? Doing well?"

"Yes, you?"

"Fine."

Awkward silence filled the room.

I figured they couldn't get anything done with me around so I excused myself from the room.

And sure enough, I heard very…_proactive _noises coming from their room.

I smiled. They were lucky to have each other. The complement each other so well.

Now if only I can find one for myself and get out of this place. My life would be complete.

* * *

After Beckendorf and Silena finished with their, ahem, _reuniting_, the whole group moved to the drawing room for snacks and small talk. Silena made herself look more presentable and Beckendorf was pleased with the results. She changed into a simple, light blue dress with ribbons on the front and managed to tidy up her hair.

During our chat, Beckendorf found out that the Beauregard's _imported _their cocoa beans from South America and actually made the chocolate here.

Silena offered him one and he gladly took it.

The result was quite amusing to watch.

It was clear Beckendorf thought the chocolates tasted horrible. Since he didn't want to upset his girlfriend, he swallowed it with the most pleasant face he could get. It didn't work so well.

He took this opportunity to go "help" the other slaves with their work and immediately left. Leaving Silena and me alone to talk.

"So…" Silena started.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Do you have anyone special in your life? Anyone that you would be willing to kiss?"

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Why would she ask this question now? "O-of course not!"

Silena folded her arms in her lap. "That's as true as me giving up wearing dresses." She leaned closer to me and narrowed her eyes. "I know you're hiding something dear Annabeth. I can _feel _it."

"Well, there are these two boys that I traveled around with for a time," I admitted.

Silena blinked. "Hold on, you _traveled? _With not one, but _two _boys? When was this?"

Oh yeah. She didn't know what had happened after my birthday. I trusted her enough to keep my secret. We shared practically everything about each other. I gave her a brief description on my escapades for the last few week.

"My, my," Silena said. "I never would've thought that Mr. Castellan would act like this. I mean, forcing your hand in marriage. That's not love honey."

"I'm glad you understand Silena. You won't tell anybody right?"

The black haired girl put her finger to her lips. "Your secret's safe with me Annabeth. Now why don't you tell me about those two gentlemen?"

"They're names are Percy Jackson and William Solace and they're from the North."

"Oh, a forbidden love," Silena squealed.

"They both like to fight with each other and-"

"Is it for your love?" she inquired. "I just adore love triangles."

"No," I said. "They just absolutely hate each other." I continued on to my story. "William has blonde hair and blue eyes and comes from Pennsylvania. He acts like a gentlemen, which I admire in him. He comes from a rich family specializing in medicine and is very good with anything long-range."

"The other one, Percy, has black hair and sea-green eyes. He seems to be incredibly dense, but is actually very intelligent. I don't know very much about his family besides that he has a mom in New York. But he seems to come from the lower classes. He cares deeply for his friends as shown when he protect me from a wild bear."

My mind flashed back to that time.

_I was in the woods, picking up pieces of firewood when the bear attacked me. For some reason, I did not have my knife on me. I wouldn't make any difference anyway, the bear was much too big to be taken down with a few knife wounds. _

_I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. _

_The next thing I knew, Percy was standing over me with a smoking gun in his hand. He held out his hand for me to pick up and I gladly took it. _

"_You okay there Owl Head?" He had a stupid grin on his face. _

"_Never better Seaweed Brain." _

"Aww," Silena cooed. "You even have nicknames for each other!"

I rolled my eyes. "Was that the only thing you got out of it?"

The other girl pouted. "No, I remember that you were attacked and you couldn't defend yourself- making you a damsel in distress."

"I am not a damsel in distress," I argued. "I am perfectly capable of defending myself thank you very much."

Silena took a sip of her tea. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, if you were to pick one of the boys, which one would you pick?"

I massaged my forehead. "It's too late for me to answer that question Silena. Besides, I like them as friends and not as lovers."

"Yeah, friends with benefits," Silena murmured.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

* * *

**I felt like I made Silena OOC in this. **

**And now, time for the news. **

**Bad news: I'm starting to lose inspiration for this story. When I started writing this, I was learning about the Civil War in US History and it basically made me want to write this. I actually had the next 4 or 5 chapters written out, until my laptop crashed and I didn't back up my files. Oh the joys of _not _prewriting. But, I WILL finish this story…when I get inspired. So this story will be on hiatus again, until that happens. **

**Good news (I guess you can call it that): I find that writing my other story, **_**Better, **_**is easier than writing this one. In fact, I already have the next two chapters written on my sister's laptop. I actually have the "plot" down and I feel that that this will make a better story (in my opinion). So, I guess you guys can read that instead of this. **

**Remember, just this story is on hiatus. My writing career (if you can call it that) is not. I will be still writing…just not on this story. **


End file.
